The Unlikely Scholar ON A BREAK
by peadragon
Summary: Ari doesn't fit any traditional scholar model. She's having too much fun anyway - who wants to be taken seriously? But one of these days she'll to have to grow up. Who'd have thought it would take a boy far younger & more mischievous than her to do it?
1. Logic

So I have done an overhaul of this story so complete that I have taken it all down and I am posting it all again as whole new chapters. Most of them pretty much are. So if you've read this already, it's worth it to do so again. I'm much more comfortable now with Ari, and much less worried that she is a Sue who is a mix between Daine and Alana. :) So yeah: here we go again!

* * *

Ari lounged peaceably against the desk at the front of the classroom. From the outside it looked as if she was bored, or perhaps just tired. Inside she was simply distracted by the complex pattern that the wood grain made. Her attention was so absolutely focused on the swirling lines that she had completely tuned out Numair and his class of pages. Numair shook her gently by the shoulder, knowing by now that no words could reach her when she was in her own different world.

"So as I was saying, Ari is going to help us today in studying the science behind the working of the Gift."

"Is she Gifted then?" one page up the back called out. There were sniggers around the classroom. Why else would she be here?

"No Thom," Numair replied. "Not quite."

"Wild magic?" another page called out hopefully.

Ari answered this time. "No magic." She stated coldly. "I cannot heal, light fires, commune with animals. I cannot cast spells or make potions. I cannot see the future or your thoughts. I have no magic, just my brain, and that is all I need to study anything." It was a speech Ari frequently found it necessary to make. Unexpectedly, someone else piped up.

"Forgive me miss, but no, it is not." Ari looked out into the sea of faces, finding the speaker almost immediately. His bright green eyes bored into hers. She straightened her back and squared her shoulders in an effort to look more intimidating. Somehow, with Numair on her left towering a full two heads taller than her it did not quite work.

Instead Numair answered for her. "I can assure you Nealan that Ari quite possibly knows more about magic and the Gift than this entire class room combined. Excluding me, of course." Ari poked her tongue out at her mentor, but it was true. Her lack of an actual Gift held her behind only one person in knowledge.

"I mean you cannot go around publishing ground-breaking papers on things like transformation spells and advanced protection magic without at least a basic knowledge of the Gift."

Ari groaned. She really wished Numair would quit boasting about these kinds of things. She had signed those papers in a false name for a reason.

There was a buzz of excited whispers growing steadily around the room. Apparently no-one had considered the possibility that A. Silverstone was a girl. And such a short one! Ari heard many remarks that she could not be more than seventeen. Well that was a bit much, she looked young sure, but it wasn't that bad. In actual fact she was twenty-three, and kind of sick of being mistaken for a child.

Once everyone had quietened down Numair explained that he and Ari would be taking them through the workings of the Gift. Why it presented itself in one person over another, how different kinds of magic were linked, the basics essentially.

The class worked silently through the rest of the lesson. Numair switched between discussing and drawing diagrams on the board, while the class took notes. Eventually it was Ari's turn to get up and explain the science behind the working of the Gift. A lot of faces stared back at her, complete incomprehension written all over them. Ari looked around. Surely they could not find all this so hard to understand? They actually had powerful Gifts, she would expect them to get at least parts of what she was saying.

Only one face showed a little comprehension. And from the looks of it, he was frustrated that he could not get all of it. Eventually, he stuck his hand up.

"Yes Queenscove?" Numair called out.

"Begging your pardon Miss Ari." There was the same mocking undertone that Neal always adopted, but Numair could not tell if it was on purpose or just from habit. "I get what you're saying, or most of it anyway, but I'm not sure It's right."

"How so?" Ari asked her voice tight as she stepped forward to stand in front of the desk. She had picked up on his tone as well.

Neal was quiet for a few moments, then he frowned, in a patronising kind of way.

"You do not have a Gift at all, correct? Yet you stand here and claim you can tell us - a room full of mages - how it works?"

"That's right." Ari was quite used to this simple-minded line of protest.

The boy smiled and continued. "It's nothing personal, _Miss_ but... how can we expect you to know the first thing about what it is like to have the Gift? How can you use science to tell us how it works when you've never felt it for yourself?" By now Neal was smirking with un-contained superiority, but Ari didn't even blink, and she did not break away from his stare.

"Indeed a very insightful argument, _Queenscove_. You are of course right that I cannot know what it feels like to have the Gift running through me. I certainly believe you when you tell me you cannot understand what I am saying. After all my theories are based on _intelligence_ and _reason_-"

"That is exactly what I am saying!" Neal interrupted, the enthusiasm of his argument flinging hair over his face.

"Neal!" Numair stated sharply.

"No. Continue." Ari said. "I want to hear this."

Neal pushed his hair off his face and continued in a calmer manner. "How can you possibly confine something as wondrous and complex as the Gift to a form so mundane as _reason? _ To try and stand there and use logic to explain how the Gift works! It's not right!"

Ari looked a little taken aback at this. Most every argument Numair had ever heard used against her were that she was young, womanly, and immoral, sometimes the half-intelligent protest that she did not have the Gift. These were all easy to brush aside, as they were based on ignorance, but Numair had never seen her come up against a truly intelligent argument before. At least, not from someone other than him.

She opened her mouth to reply, but the bells rang, denoting it was time for the pages to move on to their next class. As the class filed out steadily the boy called Nealan smirked at her. Ari glared back. She'd show him!

So yeah, hope you like the changes, or just the story if you didn't read it before. There's even more to come, and the latest chapter. Even thought it's still four chapters, I took one out in the middle so the last one is actually new for everyone. :) yay!


	2. Scheming

As soon as she had left Numair's class Ari had headed off towards his quarters in the palace. He was still teaching, but it was not him who she wanted to see.

"So, what can you tell me about Nealan of Queenscove?" Ari asked Daine directly, the second she was inside the room. Ari never minced words, preferring to get straight to the point. (When she had one.)

"Nealan?" Daine's eyebrows rose so far that they were completely swallowed by her fringe. By now she was well used to Ari's direct manner, and completely aware of what this kind of question meant.

"Yes. Nealan." Ari settled comfortably on the desk, next to her friend's current book and a stack of Numair's research.

"He's a nice guy." Daine shrugged. "A bit sarcastic, but quite bright. Well that's how Numair describes him." Ari nodded impatiently, she knew all of this already.

"Why do you want to know?" Daine asked suspiciously.

"No reason." Ari shrugged. "I only want to toy with him a little; to teach that brat some manners."

"Why would…" Daine frowned, confused, and then began to giggle. "Oh my, he said he was smarter than you, didn't he?" she smiled widely.

"This is not funny Daine," Ari protested. "He didn't just say it, he proved it. I cannot let him get away with that!"

"Well that's a new development!" Daine looked surprised. "How did he manage to do that?"

Ari shook her head. "It does not matter, what else can you tell me about him?"

Daine thought for a moment. "Well... He has a reputation to fall head-over-heels in 'love' with a new woman every week," she mused. "I was one of them, you know."

"No!" Ari stopped swinging her legs and gripped the edge of the desk, staring at Daine in disbelief.

"Well." Daine raised her chin a little, hurt that her friend found this so hard to believe.

"Oh Daine! I am not doubting your ability to draw the attention of men. You did bag the court's most wanted bachelor. In some people's opinions, at least…"

Ari was not belittling Numair's looks and charm either, but the girl had so long seen him as an older brother, a father even. She could not think of him any other way.

"I only find Nealan's nature suits my purposes quite perfectly." Ari faked an overjoyed sniffle. "It's almost too good to be true!"

"What are you planning to do to him exactly?" Daine asked, worried. "You're not going to..."

Ari shot a glare at her friend. "Of course not! That would be completely inappropriate and over the top. Not to mention how terribly young-" Ari stopped at a glance from Daine.

"Well, all I mean is the gap could be considered inappropriate, given the age that he-" Daine shot another glance.

"Oh Mithros! He's the same age you were isn't he?" Ari sighed. "Just my luck!"

Daine smiled over at her friend. "Don't worry your pretty little head. I know what you mean. It does not offend me, and why should it?"

Ari shrugged. "He's just a silly little boy who made the mistake of crossing me, that's all!"

"What's going on here?" Numair boomed from the doorway, making his much favoured dramatic entrance. "What are you two scheming?"

"Nothing." Both girls smiled sweetly and turned towards him, their faces the picture of innocence. Numair smiled and strode over, claiming a kiss from Daine. Both temporarily forgot their guest, until she squealed childishly.

"What have I told you two about doing that in front of me? It's nauseating!" Numair chuckled and pulled slowly away from his lover.

"You two carry on then," he said, before striding into his workroom, shutting the door behind him.

Daine sighed irritably. "He will be in there for days now!" She frowned in his direction.

"In the mean-time, you could always help me in my quest for vengeance…" Ari offered casually.

"And what would I have to do?" Daine asked, reluctantly coming to the realisation that she had nothing better to do.

"Ok, here's the plan." Ari pulled Daine in and whispered secretively, even though there was no-one there to overhear.

That night, when Numair emerged briefly to eat, Ari was waiting. She made sure he was settled comfortably, and then she sat down opposite him and slid a scrap of parchment across the table.

"What's this?" he asked, warily.

Ari smiled sweetly. "Oh that? That is just a spell I want you to cast for me…"

Numair studied the paper and frowned. "You do realise that if I do this right, no mage in the realm will be able to detect the spell, or reverse it without your conditions being met."

Ari quirked her eyebrow at him.

"Of course you do," he muttered. "That is the point, right?"

Numair leant back in his chair, and studied his student (or xiao tyen-tsai as he liked to call her – Mithrin for miniature genius.)

He sometimes wished she would apply half the brains she did to pranks into more serious matters. But he couldn't force her to. People had to grow up in their own time, not at a command from someone else. Still, that did not mean he had to facilitate her immature hijinks either.

He opened his mouth to say no, but before he could Ari shrugged and gathered up her papers.

"If you cannot do it, then I suppose you just cannot do it. No need to dwell on it."

Numair snorted. "I could too do it!" he protested. "I just choose not to!" Ari shrugged again.

"You can tell yourself that, if it makes you feel better…"

Numair grumbled profanities under his breath and snatched the papers back off her. In less time than it took Ari to blink, it was done.

Daine could only sit at the table and gape at her friend. "Is that how you get men to sleep with you?" she asked. Ari smiled.

"By insulting their ego's? No, it does not take nearly as much work as that to get a man in bed."

Daine laughed. "I have a new found compassion for your 'friends'."

Ari just shrugged one last time, and slipped through into the hall. The last thing she heard before she headed off to her quarters was Numair remarking: "I think I have just been used!"


	3. Revenge

Late, the next afternoon Ari was waiting patiently in position. She glanced across at Daine for the hundredth time but she shook her head, he wasn't here yet. Finally, what seemed like hours later, Daine gave the signal. A delicate sneeze drew Ari's attention to Daine's fingers by her side, counting Ari down. 3… 2… 1!

Ari stepped out from the alley between the two barns, perfectly timed, and collided head on with Nealan, on his way back to the palace after a late session in the practice courts.

Daine bit her lip to stop from giggling as she watched Neal spring backwards at least two yards, blushing madly. He was so adorably awkward with women. Even this one, whom he had quite clearly established the upper hand with.

"Oh, sorry Nealan, I did not see you there." Ari knelt down to pick up the books she had dropped, glancing up at him as she did so. Daine could not tell if it was the view down the front of Ari's tunic, or that smile she had perfected and was using expertly on him now, but Neal blushed even harder as he sunk to the ground to help her.

"That's all right, Miss-"

"Ari," Ari provided.

"I hope your not too mad about... I didn't mean to insult you..." Neal stammered hopelessly.

Anger flashed behind Ari's eyes for a second, but she was looking away and Neal did not see. _Men!_ she thought. _Once they figure out you're a real woman with curves and pretty eyes it's back to the polite, noble mindless... Mustn't hurt her delicate feelings!_

Out loud, she said: "Not at all, thank you actually for putting me in my place. I have decided to take up cross-stitching, and leave that thinking thing to men!"

Neal looked puzzled. "I never said anything about being a woman, or for that matter about not being a good scholar. I just disagreed with what you were saying."

Ari was taken aback, (Again!) He was right, he had never been anything but passionate, intelligent, and right! Damn him!

"Thank you Nealan," she said quietly. Then she drew the piece of paper hesitantly out of her inner tunic pocket.

"This is for you. Consider it a reply to your arguments earlier. You really made me think."

He reached out his hand for it, and Ari pressed it into his palm, keeping hold of his hand as she leant forward and whispered in his ear. "I would open that in private, if I were you!"

Then she stumbled off, confused at her conflicting emotions. On one hand she knew he was right, and on the other she could not suffer him to get away with how he'd embarrassed her. She knew it was immature, but she could not help herself getting all riled up with these things. Well, he probably deserved it anyway, for interrupting her.

***

Nealan ran back to his rooms and locked himself inside his bed chamber before he opened the note. He scanned it eagerly, but there was nothing on it.

For a second, he stared at it, confused. Then he felt the spell begin to work. He jumped up frantically, looking around, trying to sense, or at least see, what the spell had done. Then he caught a flash of bright purple wiz past his eye. He grabbed at it – it was his hair! Neal groaned and timidly approached his mirror. All of his hair was now bright, horrid, purple! He groaned again, falling backwards onto his bed. What in the name of Mithros..? He ran his hands through his hair, and then he began uncontrollably to laugh. He had to admit, it was funny. And very well done.

_I think I may have just met my match…_ he thought to himself.

***

Nealan turned up on her doorstep less than one hour later. Ari had to bite her lip to stop from laughing. The spell had worked perfectly.

"Let me guess, Numair spelled it?"

She nodded, grinning broadly.

"And I suppose there is some kind of condition for removing the spell." Ari handed over the other piece of paper. "You have to read this. Out loud."

Nealan glanced down at the slip of paper, snorted, then took a deep breath.

"I - Nealan the terribly dull-witted and generally stupid - declare that Arialle nò Salamin-" Nealan gaped down at her.

"Wait, that's your name? You're _his_ daughter?"

Ari shook her head. "Adopted... Sort of.."

"But how come I've never met you before?" Neal continued. "I practically grew up at the palace."

Ari frowned. "But I never met you before either. And I have known Numair since I was thirteen! It is almost as if some great cosmic force who is currently writing our lives as a story forgot this small detail and is now trying to cover it up with the lame excuse that I tend to stick to myself."

"Yes…" muttered Neal "It must be that…"

Ari nodded enthusiastically, and then frowned.

"Hey! You can't get out of it that easy. Read the note!"

Neal sighed, and continued to read.

"Arialle nò Salamin is indeed quite smarter than me, in fact she is a genius, possibly the smartest person in the realm-"

"And modest too" he added, smiling at her.

Ari kicked him in the toe.

"Ow! All right! She was wrong and I was right. But I promise I will never tell anyone or..." He trailed off there, only just absorbing what he'd read.

"I was what?" he asked her quietly.

"Right" Ari replied sharply. "You were.... at least well... You had a right to say what you did, and you were, I suppose a lot more mature than... Anyway, stop changing the subject and finish the note!" Ari scowled and crossed her arms. She'd changed the last bit of the note earlier after she'd given him the spell. She had not been able to fool herself any longer that she had been any kind of right throughout this whole mess.

Neal smiled graciously and continued. "- or interrupt an intellectually superior tutor again! Plus, she is very smart and... very pretty... And I would like to take her out to the city some time - if, of course, she wants to."

Ari's heart hammered in her chest as she watched his hair fade to black again. "That last part… I did not write that…"

Nealan looked at her and smiled. "I know." Ari fought hard not to lean against the doorway for support. She'd always had this thing about green eyes...

"But-" she stammered. "It is not true! I mean, it's not right! You are supposed to despise me now, or at the very least think I'm immature, or silly, or something..!"

Nealan shrugged. "I do not think so. It was actually kind of funny. I have to hand it to you – you know how to pull a prank!"

Ari shook her head. "You are crazy! No-one thinks that I am funny, especially not when they're my target!"

"I'm not just anyone..." Neal stated solemnly, then he ruined the effect entirely by winking mischievously.

Ari felt her legs weaken. He just had to go and be attractive, smart, and charming as well...

There was a small silence, then… "So, do you want to come into the city with me? Perhaps tomorrow?"

Ari bit her lip. She knew she shouldn't... but against her common sense, she found herself replying. "Umm, all right. Yes. I would…"


	4. The worst date ever pt 1

So here's the big date. Man, I've been procrastinating this chapter for almost a year now :D

* * *

The next day Nealan met Ari in the stables. It had been hard for him to convince Lord Wyldon to grant him leave to go into town. He suspected that the training master had only conceded this morning because someone had spoken to him on Neal's behalf. Perhaps his father, though Neal couldn't imagine why.

But when he saw Ari waiting just outside Cloud's stall he knew it was worth the extra attention he would be receiving from Wyldon. A million times over.

Neal watched Ari out of the corner of his eye as he saddled his horse. Every few minutes she would take a few tentative steps towards Cloud, then Cloud would toss her head or simply flick her ear and Ari would bounce back. Daine was watching from the sidelines, trying to keep a straight face as she berated Cloud for teasing Ari.

"Have you ridden before?" Neal asked her after his horse was ready. Ari frowned and stood up slightly straighter. "Of course I have!" she demanded.

"Not since she was ten." Daine provided, finally unable to hold back a giggle as Ari shot her a glance.

Neal smiled and held his hand out to her. "Would you like to ride with me?" He offered gently.

Ari trembled, looking over at Neal's horse. "Perhaps... we could just walk into the city..."

Neal laughed, but stopped when he saw Ari blush, stepping back and hunching her shoulders. He should not tease.

"I..." Ari looked over at Daine, who clearly expected her friend to run screaming at any second, then back at Neal. He was watching her, trying to hide his bemusement at her childish behaviour behind a sympathetic smile. She sighed, and then straightened her shoulders.

"Yes please," she breathed, holding her hand out to Neal.

Neal hesitated then took it leading her over to his horse and helping her up onto its back. Daine gaped up at them as Neal vaulted up behind her.

"How... how did you get her to do that..?" she whispered, seemingly amazed.

"What do you mean?" Neal asked, turning the horse around to face her.

"Ari is terrified of horses; I haven't ever been able to even get her in the same stall as Cloud, let alone on her back.

Ari shivered and pressed herself back into his arms. She couldn't believe it either.

Neal blushed at the feel of her body pressed into his, forgetting momentarily about Daine and her question. He'd been bold the other day, so bold he hadn't been able to believe it even as he was doing it. Now with her so close, his old shyness had returned...

"Neal?" Ari's voice cut into his thoughts. "Shall we go?"

Neal collected himself and turned his horse around towards the stable entrance, slowly guiding it out to the road.

The ride into the city was silent. Ari spent the entire length of the trip inventing various ways to trick herself into forgetting she was on a horse. Unfortunately, most of these involved Neal. Either teasing him and making him blush for amusement's sake, or leaning back into his arms and closing her eyes, which also made him blush. By the time they arrived at a tavern his mind was scrambled and he could barely concentrate as he handed the reins of his horse to the stable boy. He looked over at Ari, leaning unsteadily against the stable door. Her eyes were closed tight and her free hand was wrapped around her stomach, as the other one gripped so tightly onto the door frame that her knuckles were almost completely white. She took one last deep breath before opening her eyes and pushing herself towards Neal, stumbling most of the way as she adjusted to walking again. Without thinking Neal held out his arm for her and guided her into the building, across to his favourite table along the far wall. Once she was seated she seemed almost back to normal and Neal ventured to ask her if she would like anything to drink.

"Water?" she asked timidly, and looked up at the bar woman who had come over to see if they wanted anything. She simply nodded, and Ari sighed in relief. She had never been in a tavern before, and she had not been completely certain that they were not the kind of place which laughed at you if you did not order a lot of ale... She'd known quite a few men who, once they had a fair bit of ale in them, claimed that drinking water was for children. But perhaps that said more about her taste in company, than men and taverns.

There were a few moments of awkward silence before Neal could bring himself to say something. "You really do not like horses do you?" he asked timidly.

Ari blushed. "No."

Neal debated whether he should ask further. Ari decided to save him the trouble.

"I fell of a horse when I was ten." she supplied. "Broke my arm and knocked my mind around a bit. There were a few years where I couldn't remember a single personal memory. Friends, family, how the old fief looked before we'd moved, that kind of stuff. I still knew how to read and write, talk and breathe... But anyway... Most of the memories came back, unfortunately. Well, some for the better, like the smell of the ocean, or my sister. Others, not so great..."

Neal gaped at her for a second. There'd been a lot of information in that short statement, and it took some time to process it all.

"You're a noble then?" he asked. "What fief?"

"Why?" Ari shot back defensively. "If you feel the need to associate with nobles, then I should leave now. I told you my name earlier. It's nó Salamin. Numair is not noble, he's better than that and he's my family."

Neal shook his head emphatically "I did not mean that, I was only curious..."

Ari sighed and buried her face in her hands. "I'm sorry Nealan, I'm a wreck, I should not have agreed to this... The horse was too much. I just wanted to talk to you about the Gift - have a proper mature discussion, but then I fly off the handle about a name..."

"Oh," Neal sighed. He sounded disappointed. "You wanted to continue our discussion." Maybe he'd imagined yesterday into something else. Put more meaning into things than was warranted. He'd thought this was a date. A complete disaster of a date, but still...

"Yeah, well I certainly didn't want to spend today talking about horses!" Ari joked, pretending she didn't know why he was disappointed. "Now that we're on the subject though, is there anything else you want to know about me?"

Neal began to shake his head, then he stopped. "Why do you study the Gift, if you don't have one? Surely you picked the most difficult subject to commit your life to."

Ari smiled and silently thanked him for dropping the nobles and horses line of conversation. "Maybe that's why I picked it," she answered. "Well, that might be part of the reason, but mainly I think it's because of Numair." Just then their drinks arrived. Ari was startled that so little time had passed during their disastrous previous conversation. Then she saw the empty mug next to the new one and was worried instead that so much had escaped her notice. She hadn't been that distraught over a horse and a few questions had she? Well, she'd always been pretty terrible at taking notice of things around her. Inwardly focussed, almost to a crippling degree. It was why she did not excel at conversation, and all those normal things.

"Mostly Numair," she continued as if there had been no interruption. "I met him when I was thirteen, and he was very curious about my accident and the memory loss. He studied me for a good year. He's quite intriguing to a child. So intimidating, so powerful and mysterious. Ever since then I've wanted to know everything I could about the Gift, and I've been studying it with his help for almost ten years now."

Neal's eyes widened. "Ten years? That must make you-"

"Twenty three, and I suppose you want to say I do not look it. I know it's true, and that you probably think that's a compliment but it isn't." Ari frowned. "It's just another disability to being taken seriously in my studies, as if I didn't have enough of those."

Neal swallowed nervously. He began to think it would be safer if he just didn't day a word.

"You're about eleven or twelve, aren't you?" Ari asked. "You don't look it either, but you must be as you're a first year..."

"I'm sixteen." Neal stated quietly. "Starting a bit late, I know..."

"So then, what's this about logic and the Gift?" she asked, changing the subject again.

Neal laughed. "I was only saying that it's called magic for a reason. Because it can't be explained away by scholars. It's mystical, beyond comprehension. If we could fit it into neat little boxes it'd be called science, but it's not. It's the Gift. That's all."

Ari nodded and lapsed into silence for a few seconds. Neal fiddled with his mug.

"So umm.." Neal tied to find something to say. Some kind of safe topic that wouldn't end in an argument.

"We should get going..." Ari sighed. She was desperate to go back to her rooms and sit alone so she could process everything that had happened, but she was also terrified of getting back on the horse.

"Probably," Neal replied, but he did not attempt to move.

* * *

I didn't want to put new readers off in the start by putting too much of my worries in there. After these chapters I believe everyone has been given a chance to see her in action and make up their minds. I do want feedback. If anyone still thinks she is sue-ish please tell me. You may still see similarities to Alana and Daine in Ari's short temper and stubborn personality, plus her relationship with Numair (not romantic, mentor/big brothery), but I really believe it's not in a bad way. It is not on purpose. It's just how she turned out. Hopefully you agree that she is plausible, and a character in her own right.


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